Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Louis
Hayes is one of the chief architects of modern jazz drumming. He's provided the
rhythmic drive for historic recordings by Horace Silver, Cannonball Adderley,
Oscar Peterson, Joe Henderson, Dexter Gordon, and McCoy Tyner. His playing has
an intensity that is as subtle as it is complex, creating a musical feel and
vibe that is unmistakably Hayesian. When he reformed this band that he
co-founded in the late '60s with Freddie Hubbard and Joe Henderson-which
Freddie dubbed the Jazz Communicators-Louis purposefully deviated from a
conventional quintet lineup by featuring a vibraphone / tenor saxophone
frontline. It's the esteemed pair of Steve Nelson and Abraham Burton,
respectively, and their chemistry with Louis, pianist David Bryant and bassist
Dezron Douglas makes Return of the Jazz Communicators an inspired and rewarding
set of music. The
selections include a nice balance of standards and originals such as a
ballad-feature for Nelson, "Lush Life," and one for Burton,
"Portrait of Jennie," as well as the deep, loose groove of Mulgrew
Miller's "Soul-Leo," which opens the record. Return of the Jazz
Communicators captures this important jazz quintet in front of an enthusiastic
and appreciative live audience. In the words of Hayes, "I try to do what I
do best and what makes me feel good...I guess I might as well keep on swinging." ~LouisHayes.net

RALPH TOWNER / GARY BURTON - MATCH BOOK

Two of
the greatest things going for ECM in the 70s – brought together on one record!
The vibes of Gary Burton are a wonderful match for the careful guitar work of
Ralph Towner – particularly his 12-string guitar, which is used in a space
that's somewhere between folk and jazz, and which seems to evoke Gary Burton's
Tennessee roots in a really poetic way! The style isn't entirely jazz, although
that term is the best description for it – and instead, both players find this
really magical space together – creating special sounds that resonate with
sensitivity and a unique sort of soul. Titles include "Drifting
Petals", "Icarus", "Brotherhood", "Song For A
Friend", and "Goodbye Pork Pie Hate". (SHMCD pressing.) ~ Dusty Groove

DICK OATTS / HAROLD DANKO - SWEET NOWHERE

Beautiful
work from this overlooked team – and maybe the best showcase we've ever heard
for the alto sax work of Dick Oatts! The album features just Oatts on sax and
Harold Danko on piano – a sound that's surprisingly soulful, even when spare –
as Oatts has this way of blowing his horn that reminds us a lot of Warne
Marsh's late tenor in such a setting – never too modern, never too overdone,
but always richly expressive with just a few well-chosen notes! Danko's a real
revelation here, too – playing with these gentle flows that bubble up and really
surprise us – again as focused and careful as Dick's work on alto, a sense of
subtlety that's really impressive. Titles include unique variations on
"Summertime", "Alone Together", "Green Dolphin
Street", "Con Alma", and "Star Eyes". ~ Dusty Groove